New guys with questions...(a little long)

This is a discussion on New guys with questions...(a little long) within the New Members Introduce Yourself forums, part of the DefensiveCarry.com Forum Office category; I've spent time reading the forum since I found it a few days ago. There's great info here & I appreciate the fact that there ...

New guys with questions...(a little long)

I've spent time reading the forum since I found it a few days ago. There's great info here & I appreciate the fact that there aren't continuous flame wars as in many forums I've frequented.

A bit about myself...I'm a shotgun guy and an avid Sporting Clays shooter. I compete in many of the large tournaments around the country. As a NSCA (Nat. Sporting Clays Assoc.) certified Instructor, I stay fairly busy teaching & helping other shooters.

I own several handguns, but rarely shoot them. I've decided that I want to become more proficient & am in the market for a new gun to carry. I realize I'll have to spend more time shooting to become comfortable with a handgun. I have a Glock 22 & 27, a Kel-Tec .32, a Taurus 99 PT with adj. sites that I'll get rid of soon & some misc. .22's. I bought a Springfield TRP about 11/2 yrs. ago & let a friend who took a liking to it talk me out of it. But, it was too big for carry purposes.

Here are questions for you experts & I hope it's OK to post them here. I'll appreciate any help as I'm not familiar with what's available.

1) I think I would shoot a single action better because I don't shoot a handgun often enough to be comfortable with the long pulls of the Glock types. I did snap a Para Ordinance compact .45 recently with the LDA system that felt pretty good.

2) I would prefer .40 or .45 I think although I'm concerned about recoil in the smaller guns in .45. The Glock 27 doesn't bother me too much & would be OK if I just shot it more to become accustomed to it.

3) I'm a bit concerned about a SA .45 in the cocked & locked position, but I think that will not bother me with time.

4) From what I've read here, the IWB seems to be the way to go, but I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe. Just how big of a deal is carrying with that method? I ware bluejeans the majority of the time if that makes a difference. I live in the south & that presents a problem with no jacket much of the year.

5) Finally, should I be looking for a gun with a light rail? Not being familiar with all the various models, that will likely cut down on the number of available guns farily drastically.

6) In short, I think I need a SA gun or one with a fairly crisp trigger (more similar to the shotgun I shoot 1000's of times per month). It should also not be unbearable as to recoil for someone who doesn't shoot a handgun often, large enough caliber to do the job & not so heavy I won't use it.

You have heard already from two senior moderators with much experience, but I want to throw in just a slight twist to the conversation. You mention thinking that you need a single action pistol. Is that really what you think you need or are you using the term single action to refer to what is sometimes called SA/DA (single action/double action) or TDA (traditional double action)? SA/DA or TDA pistols are ones that the first round is usually fired double action because the safety/decocker or with SIG and some others just the decocker has lowered the hammer. After the first round all other rounds are fired single action because the slide has cocked the action. If both the true SA and TDA are included in your consideration you have a much larger variety of pistols to choose from.

A site I find useful when I start to consider a new firearm is: http://www.genitron.com/
I don't know who does the site, but the information is taken from manufacturers' sites and organized. The site is easily searchable and the entries also have manufacturers' website links. Great resource.

I'd like to add something different. Take a look at the Springfield Armory XD45 pistol. It has a higher capacity (13+1). It is very comfortable and you don't have to worry about condition 1 carry. There are several smith's that can perform amazing trigger work (Canyon Creek and Springer Precision come to mind). It's less expensive than a 1911 and not as "finicky" with ammo and functioning.

More info

Thanks for the help, guys.

George, I'm familiar with the various actions you mention. For instance, the Taurus I referred to is the DA/SA. I'm so used to having a trigger on my shotguns that doesn't have slack or a long pull that I seem to "flinch" when trying to shoot one of my Glocks where the trigger pull is so long. That's why I thought a 1911 type might suit me better. I probably shoot 15,000 shotgun shells per year & a trigger that feels more like I'm accustomed to will likely be better.

I read somewhere here earlier tonight about a GSR model by Sig, but I can't locate it on their site. Can some clue me in?

I've just spent lots of time looking over the Sig line & want to get my hands on some of them to see how they feel.

Welcome from the panhandle of Texas
my thoughts....
you mentioned something about shooting the glock enough to get accustomed to it.....I would think about using the 27 for a carry piece, thats what it was made for, pretty small in size so may not affect your wardrobe much, plenty of holsters/options out there for this model too ( and no I'm not a gungho Glocks rule guy not am I an anti-1911, I just see that you've already got a pretty darn good CCW piece there and just need some trigger time on it)

QKShooter hit it on the head. Having come from a shotgun background myself I know what you mean about the trigger. I think you would be much happier with a commander style 45. However I took the opposite route and dedicated enough time to get comfortable with the Glock trigger and that is what I carry. Good luck on your search.
Mike